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Looking after ourselves

Re: Carers under 30...

that is true @Former-Member

@Smc I have a few more invasive tests yet unfortunately but I might speak with the nurse before the dr comes back and let her know that he was rough last time. as he is a male he has a female chaperone so she comes in and helps prepare before he comes in so give me a chance to say something to her.

Re: Carers under 30...

hello @outlander 

 

I want to emphasise that I am not advising you..

I am suggesting some organisations that might be able to help you in your situation.

 

This all might have already been suggested..you might have tried or know about

 

legal aid..a certain amount of free advice..

 

women's legal services australia

 

How do you prove financial hardship?
The types of papers you need to prove financial hardship include proof of income like pay stubs or your income tax returns. Also, proof of expenses for your family like rent/mortgage, utilities, food, transportation, and health related expenses (doctors visits and medication).
 
 Trouble with debt

Help with debts

If your debts are getting out of control or you're struggling to make ends meet, it's important to act quickly. 

Here are we explain the practical steps you can take to ease the stress, get your finances back on track, and understand your rights if a lender takes legal action to recover a debt.

Talk to your credit provider

If you are finding it hard to keep up with utility bills (electricity, gas, phone or water), credit cards or loan repayments, the first step is to tell your credit or service provider that you're experiencing financial hardship. Taking action straight away can stop a small problem becoming a big one.

Many companies have hardship officers who can assess your situation and work out what help is available. Whether they can help you will depend on why you are having difficulty making payments and how long you think your financial problems will continue.

Hardship officers can also help you work out an affordable payment plan, such as paying bills in instalments or temporarily altering your loan repayments.

Apply for a hardship variation

If you can't keep up with repayments on your credit cards or loans (for example, because of illness, unemployment or changed financial circumstances), ask your credit provider for a 'hardship variation'.

For a home loan, depending on when you took it out there are different thresholds (maximum amounts allowed) for accessing a hardship variation, see hardship threshold

How to apply for a hardship variation
  1. Contact your lender or credit provider - by phone or in writing
  2. Ask to speak to a 'hardship officer' or to 'customer service'
  3. Give the details of your loan (account name and number, and the amount you pay each week/fortnight/month)
  4. Say that you want to change your loan repayments because you are experiencing hardship (as set out in section 72 of the National Consumer Credit Code)
  5. Explain why you are having difficulties making payments, how long you think your financial problems will continue and how much you can afford to repay
Sample hardship letters

The Financial Rights Legal Centre have a sample letter generator to help you create professional and legal letters to send to financial service providers like banks, creditors and insurance companies.

How long should the lender take to respond?

When you apply for a hardship variation, the credit provider must respond to your request in writing within 21 days letting you know the outcome of your hardship request (unless you need to provide them with more information).

If the credit provider asks you for more information to help them make a decision, you must give this to them within 21 days. Remember that credit providers have a legal obligation to respond to you if you are having problems paying your loans.

How you can change your repayments

Here are some of the options you could discuss with your lender:

  • Extend your loan period, so you make smaller repayments over a longer period
  • Postpone your repayments for an agreed period
  • Extend your loan period AND postpone your repayments for an agreed period
  • Other ways to make your loan repayments more affordable

When negotiating a repayment plan, make sure you can afford it. There is no point agreeing to an amount that is too high for you to pay.

If you find you can't stick to the new arrangement, tell your credit provider straight away. Keep paying as much as you can afford, even if it is not as much as the credit provider is asking for.

You can complain

If your credit provider refuses your hardship application, they must give reasons. If you are not happy with their response you can ask to speak to their internal complaints section.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you can lodge a dispute (for free) with your credit provider's external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme - the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). You can call them on 1800 931 678.

Ask for help if you're struggling with debt

You don't have to go it alone. There is free and confidential help available to assist you to get a clear picture of your situation and understand your options:

  • Financial counselling: A free service offered by community organisations, community legal centres and some government agencies, see financial counselling.
  • Free legal advice: Available from community legal centres and Legal Aid offices in each state and territory, see free legal advice.

If you're in a crisis and need emergency relief or emotional support see our urgent money help webpage.

If some of your financial problems are due to another person running up debts in your name, or pressuring you to spend money or sign up for a loan, you may be experiencing financial abuse. Visit our financial abuse webpage for a list of organisations that can help you.

If you are being intimidated by someone trying to recover a debt, there are things you can do to stop their threatening behaviour. See dealing with debt collectors.

Debt solution companies

It might sound like a good idea to pay someone to help fix your credit history, but credit repair agencies and debt solution companies may not always be able to do what they claim. Find out what debt solution companies can and can't do for you.

What to do if your lender takes you to court

If you have received a notice that you are being taken to court for the debt you owe (such as a summons, statement of claim or liquidated claim), you must act quickly.

Decide if you agree you owe the debt

The first thing to do is to decide whether you agree that you owe the debt or dispute it. Legally, you may not have to pay the debt if it is an old one.

Apply to pay by instalments

If you agree that you owe the debt but can't pay the full amount, ask your lender or credit provider whether you can pay off the debt by instalments.

Or you can go to court and make an application to pay the debt by instalments.

Request a postponement of enforcement

You have the right to request a postponement of enforcement from your credit provider to stop the repossession of your goods or home. Use our sample letter request for postponement of enforcement to draft your letter or you can go to court and request a postponement of enforcement.

Get help from a dispute resolution service

You can talk to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) on 1800 931 678 about whether they can help you. This won't cost you anything. You will generally only be able to lodge a complaint with AFCA after you have tried to negotiate with the lender.

 

Importantly you do not have to struggle with this alone.

take care as always dear outlander

💜

Re: Carers under 30...

thank you @Sophia1 Heart

Re: Carers under 30...

oh groan @outlander 

 

I just came to thank you for the support button and noticed the length of my epic reply.

 

headache material...

read it when you feel up to it...perhaps a paragraph a day..you might get through it by the end of the year..

 

only suggestions...

I find that sort of information very overwhelming when I am not at my best.

 

must get off of here now..

had a long chat to lifeline before re my family member...helped a little..

I have a therapist appointment to morrow...

hope that your infection is still on the way out..

 

take care

love Sophia 💚

Re: Carers under 30...

Hi @Sophia1
No, not headache material. I appreciate the time you took to post to me. Im not feeling so great today more so mentally so finding it abit hard to form proper responses. Sh urges are getting the better of me abit so dissapointed in myself. Trying to process first gynae. Appt and upcoming further tests.

Im glad that lifeline helped you even if a little bit. Ive been reading along with all your posts. I just wanted to let you know that i hear you and that i care very much even when i cant formulate proper words.

💜💕💙🧡💚

Re: Carers under 30...

@Teej would you be around and ok for me to ask you a question?

Re: Carers under 30...

Dear @outlander 

 

Leave the headache post for another time when you have a calmer mind frame.

The last thing that I want is to further overwhelm you.

I am not much help when it comes to SH urges..

I have met people who have and do suffer with urges and actions..

 

I can let you know that for whatever reason you feel the urge...the pain that you want to cause yourself cannot be justified by any horrid actions of others.

You are far far more worthy of compassion and empathy..

So I offer you love and friendship @outlander as we have been chatting for some time now....

both finding ourselves within periods of time where we have no words...we have the desire to support though.

 

I am holding out my arms to hold you and offer you a person who will hold you while you catch your breath...

be ever so gentle and non judgemental with yourself..

 

Try not to let the upcoming tests take over your thought process...know that the questions are there and that you can leave them until the day arrives. ...they will still be there..

 

love and friendship to you also outlander 💜

Re: Carers under 30...

thank you @Sophia1 your post was sweet and ill definently take a hug and I very much appreciate your friendship Heart

sh was something I thought I was past but Ive gone backwards. quite upsetting but trying to bring myself up. its been an awful day though so not really surprised my mh is going down.

ive head 4 tests for the womens health stuff-3 of which were more internal/invasive and I find it quite triggering. have another one coming up in a few weeks and then depending on what these new results are we go from there. then another 2 tests that weren't invasive for other things like blood pressure monitoring for 24hrs and blood tests, all in a matter of a week. 😕


Anyways, thanks for listening to me ramble on and for your friendship. I also offer the same back to you Heart
How are you going too? have things gotten a little better for you?

Re: Carers under 30...

@outlander 

I do not like those tests either...

are you able to have a nurse in there who could talk to you...

I find that talking my way through relieves some of the tension;;

hilarious when they say relax though isn't it!

You are coping far better than you realise as you are getting through ....

easier for an outsider to say I know...

 

With the SH I would not think that you are going backwards...just patterned past thinking taking over..

writing about these feelings on here is so very brave and also helping you not listen so intently to that repeated thinking...

 

I promise not to give you any more website addresses or phone numbers however.

you promise me that you will seek a listening ear if those feelings become more intense..

 

Also I know that there are other threads dispersed about the forums which is so huge these days...perhaps referring back to one of those and looking at suggestions...helpful outcomes...

how is the crocheting coming along?

cats are not happy ...one by my feet washing furiously and other plonked in front of my computer screen.

will check in on you when I can 

take care as always

💙

Re: Carers under 30...

mm yes 'relax' isn't something that's easy done I would say whether or not you've got mh issues or the likes. The radiologist was female so it was ok. I counted the tiles on the ceiling. The gynae however is a male and is much harder for me to keep my anxiety under control esp since he is abit rough (he caused major cramping for days after he was finished the test) but I have a nurse there at any time I want and is there during any test without me asking so its abit less scary having her there.

I feel ok being here most of the time so it helps abit with my mood and how I come across here. that's both good and bad I think. SH and increased SI is usually a big warning sign so am trying my best to manage those the best I can.

its ok, I did read your headache post as you call it and ive done some of it but I don't think I can face credit card companies atm. its getting paid with what we can afford and the cards cancelled so I think they can wait a little while longer. ive sorted the rest out with payment plans and just add in extra here and there when we can.

ive just learnt to join squares together and made a small lap blanket with some of the squares I made for a previous project but never finished it. I finished it tonight though so can add that project to the list. still working on my really big one as well . @Sophia1
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